Four Monterey baseball players, two of whom were starters for a team that reached the regional final last year, are no longer with the Plainsmen as they prepare for the 2011 season.

Lubbock ISD spokeswoman Nancy Sharp confirmed Tuesday that Dylan Case, David Gates, Chris Pacheco and Kyle Rodriguez — all seniors — have been dismissed from the team. Sharp said she couldn’t provide reasons for their dismissals, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

“Those students are no longer on the team. I can confirm that,” Sharp said. “Beyond that, that’s all we can say.”

Kent Meador, Monterey’s second-year head coach, deferred comment to Sharp on Monday and declined to comment about the matter when reached by phone Tuesday night. Attempts to reach the players and their families on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Gates, a right-handed pitcher and first baseman, and third baseman Pacheco were starters last season and helped the Plainsmen advance to the Region I-5A championship game, where they lost to Plano West 5-4 in 10 innings. Case and Rodriguez spent most of last season on Monterey’s junior varsity squad, but Case joined the varsity team during the playoffs.

Gates signed a letter of intent with Texas Tech in November. Texas Tech baseball coach Dan Spencer said he intends to honor Gates’ scholarship offer pending further investigation of the circumstances that led to his dismissal from the Plainsmen. Spencer added Gates’ status could change depending on the results of that investigation.

Midland Christian baseball coach Mike Munguia said Gates enrolled there Monday and will play for the Mustangs this season.

The other players’ enrollment statuses remained unclear as of Tuesday night.

Gates was a first-team selection last year on the all-District 2-5A team as well as The Avalanche-Journal’s All-City and All-South Plains Class 5A-4A teams. He went 8-5 with a 2.68 ERA on the mound, pitching 11 complete games in 14 starts, and batted .400 with 14 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs.

“We’re excited to have him,” said Munguia, who coached against Gates and the Plainsmen while at Odessa last season. “He should help out.”

Along with other University Interscholastic League programs, Monterey is permitted to begin practicing on Friday. The Plainsmen are scheduled to open their season with a home game against Midland on Feb. 21.

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Just a comment that one set of parents can afford to get their son out of Monterey & into a private school, where he can continue to play baseball & hopefully keep his Tech scholarship. But this is not just any private school here in Lubbock. No, they've moved him completely out of Lubbock & enrolled him in Midland Christian. Takes more than a little money for private school & a place to live in Midland, cause I don't think he'll be commuting every day from their house in Lubbock.

It seems most unfortunate that a town full of God-fearing people has taken it upon itself to gossip and meddle in the lives of high school students. Rather than commenting on the choices of Gates' parents in sending their son to a new school (also a Christian school at that) and making character assumptions on these young men, perhaps we might instead devote ourselves to leading by example and letting the families of these boys attempt to make what they deem the right choices to help their sons move on, learn, and grow from this experience.

As a member of the community who has gotten to know many of these Monterey boys and their families and has, as have many of us, gotten into my own fair share of trouble in my high school and college years, I am optimistic that these boys have all the chance in the world to nonetheless grow into strong young men. Many of us do not know the details leading up to these boys' dismissal from the team, and as none of them were charged committing a crime, we have no reason to assassinate any of their characters.

On a personal note, I wish the very best to Gates as he attempts to start a life in a brand new town with just a few months left in his final year of high school. I have always found him to be a nice young man, dedicated to his sport, respectful of adults, and friendly to his classmates, and my prayers are with him and his family.

I like how some people on here act like they know the guys that got kicked off the team, whoever made the comment

"Sad thing is 4 boys made a mistake and the only one NOT PAYING THE PRICE is the kid with parents who can afford to get him out of trouble! So much for "Life is fair" but kuddos to the Coach for kicking them all off the team and not just keeping the Star (Stars) with daddy's fat checkbook."

is just plain stupid, you dont know his life or what he has been through, i wish you knew the actual facts and what really happened, but you dont know either, so stop saying that daddy saved him,

its funny how one good kid can get dragged down for something he had nothing to do with and i hope he doesnt pitch against Monterey anytime soon because they will get flat shut out!